Campus News
Rally For Mental Health Advocacy Following Student Death
19-year-old Bernardsville resident and Rowan University art major, Maximilian Gray-Barquero, died unexpectedly on November 1, 2021. Gray-Barquero was a graduate of Bernards High School in Bernardsville. He played football as a wide receiver and linebacker.
“He was a fiercely loyal friend and companion, a committed athlete and teammate, and a devoted son,” according to his obituary.
Rowan University is no stranger to unexpected student deaths, as there were three deaths in the span of two months in 2019.
Earlier this week, students of the Rowan Progressives Club created a Discord server to demand the university is held accountable for the “lack of mental health resources.” Students reported that the 14 therapists available in the university’s “Wellness Center” is not enough to help the population of 20,000 Rowan students.
Co-editor-in-chief, Maranda Jo Shinn, created a petition to demand change. This petition has since received over 1,800 signatures.
“Not only has the governing body of this university done the bare minimum to help those close to the students who have since passed, they have seemingly done everything in their power to ignore the situation as though it never happened.” said Shinn.
For more information and how to get involved, please click here.
US News
Woman Battling Cancer Survives Bear Attack
A California woman is in recovery after being attacked by a black bear that broke into her Lake Tahoe cabin and rummaged through her kitchen.
Laurel-Rose von Hoffmann-Curzi was woken up on October 30 with thumping sounds coming from her kitchen. At first, she thought it was her son, but after coming to investigate, she realized it was the bear going through her freezer. As soon as she realized it was a bear, the bear came charging at her quickly.
von Hoffmann-Curzi described the attack as she felt like her “body was being ripped apart.”
The bear came charging at her a second time, but she threw a quilt over top of it, which may have spooked the bear. The animal came after her again, but it was scared off when von Hoffmann-Curzi’s husband and son came out of their rooms. They tended to her wounds and she was rushed her to the hospital.
Besides scratches and severe wounds, von Hoffmann-Curzi was concerned about a deep puncture wound in her abdomen. She feared that it had ruptured, which would have caused more severe issues because she was going through chemotherapy for lymphoma.
von Hoffmann-Curzi is immunocompromised, so staying indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major way of living so she could stay safe. Coming to the cabin with her husband and son is a fun and safe activity she can enjoy. She said that the only other places she goes to are “doctors appointments and chemotherapy.”
With just the second bear attack of the year on a human, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are looking to capture the bear that attacked von Hoffmann-Curzi, as well as keep others from attacking more residents.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife captain, Patrick Foy, recommends residents and visitors in the area go to keepmewild.org for advice on reducing negative encounters with bears and other wildlife.
World News
Iran Shares Footage of Incident With US Navy
Iran released footage from an alleged clash with a US navy ship last month in the Gulf of Oman.
Iran claims the US forces were attempted to confiscate Iranian crude oil, but Pentagon spokesman John Kirby rejected the claims in a press conference.
“I have seen the Iranian claims, they are absolutely, totally false,” said Kirby, “Iran’s actions, the ones that are true, of them illegally boarding and seizing a merchant vessel, constitute a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom and navigation and a free flow of commerce,”
To view the footage, click here.
Politics
Major Wins from Election Day
This past week, key elections took place in Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Florida. For projected results of those elections, read below.
(99% counted) Virginia Governor: Republican Glenn Youngkin (50.7%)
(99% counted) Virginia Lieutenant Governor: Republican Winsome Sears (50.9%)
(99% counted) Virginia Attorney General: Republican Jason Miyares (50.5%)
(90% counted) New Jersey Governor: Democrat Philip Murphy (50.9%)
(85% counted) New York City Mayor: Democrat Eric Adams (66.1%)
(99% counted) Ohio Special Election for US House 11: Democrat Shontel Brown (78.8%)
(99% counted) Ohio Special Election for US House 15: Republican Michael Carey (58.3%)
(98% counted) Florida Democratic Primary for US House 20 Special Election: Sunday, Nov 7, 2021 @ 9:50 a.m. Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick ahead by 3 votes
(99% counted) Florida Republican Primary for US House 20 Special Election: Jason Mariner* (57.8%)
*Mariner is an ex-felon and is allegedly not eligible to hold political office.
Business
These Five Big Companies Keep Getting Bigger
Tech companies keep growing, and they’re only going to get bigger. Microsoft is now worth just a tad more than Apple, which marks a milestone for Microsoft being the world’s most valuable company. Both companies are worth about $2.5 trillion combined.
If that isn’t mind-boggling enough, Google is valued just a bit less than $2 trillion. Amazon is worth around $1.7 trillion. Tesla, the electric car company owned by Elon Musk, recently passed the $1 trillion milestone and surged to about $1.25 trillion in value.
What does this all mean? All five of these companies are worth almost $10 trillion. If you add in Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, to almost reach $2 trillion, then the S&P 500 could soon have six companies to reach this mark.
Health
New Pfizer Pill Reduces Hospitalization, Death from COVID-19
Pfizer, known for its COVID-19 vaccine, may soon be known for its pill to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths for the virus.
In a trial for the drug, the results came back to show that the experimental drug could be a huge boost in fighting the COVID-19 virus. The results were so positive, the company ceased the trial and will now begin making its case with the FDA for emergency authorization of the drug.
Pfizer released the data with no discussion from scientists nor peer reviews. The company will elaborate on the details of the trial in a peer-reviewed paper when making its case to the FDA.
The company tested the pill, called Paxlovid, along with the drug ritonavir, to adults deemed “high risk” of progressing to severe illness. This drug combination showed to slow the breakdown in the body.
0.8% of patients who received the drug combination within three days were hospitalized within four weeks which equates to three out of the 398 patients, in comparison to 7% of the patients who received placebos, 27 out of 385. Seven of those that received placebos, died, said Pfizer. No one who received the drug treatment died within a month.
Remdesivir is the only antiviral approved by the FDA for COVID-19 treatment. It is given intravenously, so it’s not as simple as administration by a pill. Pfizer hopes the drug combination will be a game-changer in keeping the virus from multiplying.
Entertainment
Eight Dead after ‘ASTROWorld” Festival Crowd Mob
Eight people died at an Astroworld Festival in Houston which was organized by rapper and producer Travis Scott. Friday evening, on November 5, 2021, there was a crowd surge that also left at least a dozen injured. The sold-out concert left the attendees crushed against each other to the point of not being able to breathe.
Investigations are underway that will cover what caused the surge and what prevented people from being able to escape.
At least 25 people were sent to the hospital, 13 of them remained there as of Saturday afternoon. Five of them were under the age of 18. The ages of the victims who died range from 14 to 27, with one unidentified person who’s age is unknown.
Scott, onstage, looked out to the crowd in confusion to see ambulances arriving on the scene with flashing lights moving through the audience. Scott has since took to Instagram to express condolences after the situation.
“I’m honestly just devastated,” Scott said. “We’re actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.”
Style
Chloé‘s Gabriela Hearst Making Fashion Sustainable
Uruguayan fashion designer Gabriela Hearst was announced as the creative director of the luxury fashion house Chloé in December 2020. Hearst is known for her iconic work in sustainable fashion, so taking on this new role meant change for the French brand. CEO Riccardo Bellini talked about how he was looking to take the label in a new direction, and hiring Hearst was a great start.
Hearst inherited her family’s farm and this rooted her in sustainability. Taking control of this farm influenced her ideas in fashion design with slowly made handcrafted items. Hearst’s leather bags, for instance, are made in small batches and made to order.
Now, Hearst shares time in New York and France, designing clothes for Chloé and her own brand. Though these two brands are very different, her ethics stay the same.
“I grew up on a farm,” she said in an interview at a Chloé showroom in Paris. “Everything gets used on a farm, so that’s where I learned utilitarian skills for sustainability.”
Hearst’s pieces are expensive, but she wants consumers to think before they buy – even think past the price tag. She wants her customers to see her designs in her pieces as family heirlooms and “lifetime investments.” If a pair of boots cost $1,500, it could be instead viewed at a $60 pair of boots if worn for 25 years.
Hearst emphasizes buying what is needed and passing down clothing, some key aspects of sustainable fashion.
As for the Chloé brand, it released a statement saying it, “can be considered to have four times more lower impact materials compared to last year.”
To view the Chloé brand, click here. To view Hearst’s line, visit the link here.
Travel
Russia, China Fight COVID-19 Outbreaks
Recently, Russia has moved to the “high-risk” category with 274,000 new cases reported in the past week and only 34% of the population fully vaccinated. This means that there are now close to 80 countries on the CDC’s “no-go” Level 4 list, including the UK, Greece, Switzerland and Thailand.
The CDC considers a country in the “high-risk” category when it has more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
China is also fighting multiple new COVID-19 outbreaks. The country is working in overtime to contain multiple new outbreaks despite 75% of the population being fully vaccinated. China is continuing to keep closed borders and monitor lengthy quarantines for international arrivals and localized lockdowns.
Recently, a single Covid case reported at Shanghai Disneyland sent the whole park and adjacent Disney shopping district into lockdown as tens of thousands of attendees could test positive as well.
Massive airline cancellations, as well as violent outbursts from passengers and staff, caused severe stress for all involved during this time. This may only get worse as the two countries continue to reduce the number of cases.
With holiday traveling around the corner, experts recommend visiting warmer destinations as most of the activities will be outdoors and appropriate for social distancing.
Sports
Aaron Rodgers Lies About Vaccine Status, Loses 9-Year Partnership
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers admitted to catching the COVID-19 virus and not being vaccinated while on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, November 5, 2021.
Rodgers provided an explanation for not being vaccinated, though he previously mentioned in August that he was “immunized” against the virus.
“I have an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines,” he said on the show. “I found a long term immunization protocol to protect myself & I’m very proud of the research that went into that,”
According to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Rodgers is following all COVID-19 health and safety protocols that unvaccinated players are required to do.
The NFL will investigate how strictly the protocols have been enforced at Lambeau Field. Rodgers could face multiple fines from the NFL for not adhering to wearing a mask during press conferences, among breaking other rules.
Prevea Health recently announced that the company and Aaron Rodgers would no longer be partners following this situation, breaking a nine-year partnership after extending the deal in 2019.
Rodgers is ineligible to play on the road against the Chiefs on Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Backup quarterback, Jordan Love, will start.
This has been Her Campus at Rowan University’s weekly news recap for November 7, 2021. For more information and top stories, please check your local news organization.